Abstract

STUDY OF OSTEOMYELITIS AT DAMASCUS HOSPITAL (ALMOUJTAHD HOSPITAL)

Nizar Daher, Farah Al-Esh, Adnan Mohammad and Mhd. Nezar Alsharif*

Abstract

Objective: This study was done to analyze the incidence and characteristics of osteomyelitis (OM) in Damascus Hospital (AlMoujtahd Hospital). Materials and Methods: This study was a retrospective study of the files of the patients who were admitted to the Orthopedics Department of Damascus Hospital (AlMoujtahd Hospital) and were diagnosed with Osteomyelitis. We collected data regarding the age, gender, type of osteomyelitis, site of infection, cause of infection, symptoms, duration of symptoms, culture results and treatment. This study included all cases from 14/6/2015 to 17/12/2018. Results: We had 74 patients in our study. Most of them 81.1% were males, while only 18.9% were females. Acute OM was more common in the patients ≤20 years old, while chronic OM frequency increased with age. Chronic OM was most common in patients between 21-40 years old. Leg bones were the most common affected followed by the femur with 45.9% and 20.3%, respectively. Chronic OM was more common in most bones, especially, leg bones, femur, hip and calcaneus. 79.8% of all patients had either trauma or skin lesions. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common causing organism. Conclusion: Acute OM mainly affected younger patients, while chronic OM mainly affected older patients. Antibiotic treatment must be guided by susceptibility patterns of individual microorganisms, although it must be performed together with surgery in most of the cases.

Keywords: Osteomyelitis, Bone infection, Syrian Population.